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1() Cents. 







COLLECTION OF AMUSING AND ENTER= 



TAINING RIDDLES, ENIC= 



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MAS, CHARADES 
AND PUZZLES. 



ORIGINAL AXD 
SELECTED. 




■AKtTATi I^ott & -smith ^m ■ » 

^HjlV'V 1 * publi shers i^ip?-' 



j^o. 13. 



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S- cfc JS. 
MANUAL LIBRARY.-No. 13, 

ISSUED SEMI-MONTHLY. 



Subscription Price, 12.40 Per Year. October i, 1890. 

Copyrighted, 1890, by Street & Smith. 
Entered at the Post-Office, New York, as Second-Class Matter. 



IIS AID Til AMES 



A COLLECTION 

OP 

AMUSING AND ENTERTAINING KIDDLES, ENIGMAS, 
CHARADES AND PUZZLES. 






ORIGINAL AND SELECTED, 



By Charles B. Eaton. 



NEW YORK : 

STREET & SMITH, Publishers, 

31 Rose Street 



THE SELECT SERIES. 

Devoted to Good Reading in American Fiction. 

Issued Seu:l-Monthly. PRICE, 25 CENTS EACH. Fully Illustrated. 

BOUND IN HANDSOME LITHOGRAPH COVERS. 

If©. 37— In Lore's Crucible, by Bertha M. Clay. 

No. 86— The Gipsy's Daughter, by Bertha M. Clay. 

No. 35— Cecile's Marriage, by Lucy Randall Comfort. 

No. 34— The Little Widow, by Julia Edwards. 

No. 33— The Cannty Fair, by Neil Burgess. 

No. 32— Lady Ryhope's Lover, by Emma Garrison Jonea. 

No. 31— Harried for Gold, by Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 

No. 30— Prettiest of All, by Julia Edwards. 

No. 29— The Heiress of Egremont, by Mrs. Harriet Lewis. 

No. 28— A Heart's Idol, by Bertha M. Clay. 

No. 27— Winifred, by Mary Kyle Dallas. 

No. 26— Fontelroy, by Francis A. Durivage. 

No. 25— The King's Talisman, by Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. 

No. 24— That Dowdy, by Mrs. Georgie Sheldon. 

No. 23— Den man Thompson's Old Homestead. 

No. 22— A Heart's Bitterness, by Bertha M. Clay. 

No. 21— The Lost Bride, by Clara Augusta. 

No. 20— lngomar, by Nathan D. Urner. 

No. 19— A Late Repentance, by Mrs. Mary A. Denison. 

No. 18— Rosamond, by Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 

No. 17— The House of Secrets, by Mrs. Harriet Lewis. 

No. 16— Sibyl's Influence, by Mrs. Georgie Sheldon. 

No. 15— The Virginia Heiress, by May Agues Fleming. 

No. 14 — Florence Falkland, by Burfce. Brentford. 

No. 13— The Bride-Elect, by Annie Ashmore. 

No. 12— The Phantom Wife, by Mrs. M. V. Victor. 

No. 11— Badly Matched, by Mrs. Helen Corwin Pierce. 

No. 10— Octaria's Pride, by Cbarles T. Manners. 

No. 9— The Widow's Wager, by Rose Asbleigh. 

No. 8— Will She Win 1 by Emma Garrison Jones. 

No. 7— Gratia's Trials, by Lucy Randall Comfort. 

No. 6— A Stormy Wedding, by Mrs. Mary E. Bryan. 

No. 6 -Brunette and Blonde, by Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 

No. 4 — Bonny Jean, by Mrs. E. Burke Collins. 

No. 8— Vella Vernell ; or, An Amazing Marriage, by Mrs. Sumner 

Harden. 
No. 2— A Wedded Widow, by T. W. Hansbew. 
No. 1— The Senator's Bride, by Mrs. Alex. McVeigh Miller. 

The above works are for sale by all Booksellers and .News- 
dealers, or will be sent to any address, post-paid, on receipt of 
prioe, 25 cents each, by the publishers, 

STREET & SMITH, 

P. O. BOX 2734. 31 ROSE STREET, NEW YORK. 







PREFACE. 



Good riddles and conundrums afford a never- 
failing fund of amusement for both young and 
old ; a whole party may be entertained by the 
propounding of puzzles which require the great- 
est wit and ingenuity for their solution, and a 
dull and stupid entertainment may be enlivened 
by the amusement resulting from a happy in- 
stance of juggling with words. The riddles, 
etc., in the following pages have been selected 
with the greatest care. Very old and hack- 
neyed examples have been avoided, and a large 
number of original specimens included. It is 
almost unnecessary to state that anything of an 
indelicate nature has been carefully excluded. 
The compiler is sure that no better collection 
of these ingenious exercises has ever been pre- 
sented to the public. 

C. B. E. 









ir 



Why is a conundrum like a monkey? Because 
it is far-fetched and full of nonsense. 

Who was born before his father and died be- 
fore his father? Abel. 

Why is a chicken-pie like a gunsmith's shop? 
Because it contains fowl in pieces (fowling 
pieces). 

Why is a petroleum dealer like an epicure? 
Because he lives on the fat of the land. 

Why is a colt like an eggl Because it must 
be broken before it is used. 

Why is early grass like a penknife? Because 
the spring brings out the blade. 

What cat is always running? Cat-aract. 

When is a plant like a rock? When it is 
blasted. 

What is the difference between an ambassador 
and a bear hunter? One bears dispatches; the 
other dispatches bears. 

When are two kings like three miles? When 
they make a league. 

Why is a Hebrew in health like a diamond? 
Because he is a Jew-well (jewel). 

When did Abraham sleep five in a bed? When 
he slept with his forefathers. 

Why is intending to pay a bill the same as 
paying it? Because it is payment (pay-meant). 






6 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why is a sheet of postage stamps like distant 
relations? Because they are but slightly con- 
nected. 

Who is the oldest lunatic on record? Time 
out of mind. 

When is a physician like an ill-tempered man? 
When he loses his patients (patience). 

Why are fond mothers like novelists? Be- 
cause they indulge infancy (in fancy). 

When is iron like a band of robbers? When 
it is united to steel (steal) 

Why is an infirm old man like a musical char- 
acter? Each requires a staff. 

What is the difference between a loaf of good 
bread and a polite young lady? One is well- 
made bread, and the other is a well-bred maid. 

What bird is that from which if you take its 
head it will make it talk? A stork (s-talk). 

When are you like the dying embers of a fire? 
When you are going out 

Why are book writers like chickens? Because 
they have to scratch for a living. 

Why is a printer like a postman? Because he 
distributes letters. 

When is a window like a star? When it is a 
sky-light. 

Why is a loiterer like a clock? Because he is 
always going and never gone. 

Why is rumor like a kiss? Because it goes 
from mouth to mouth. 

Why is a good shoemaker like a true lover? 
Because he is faithful to the last. 

What did the potter say to the clay ? " Be- 
ware." 

Why is the skeleton of a sermon a very un- 
natural object? Because it has several heads. 

When do you see what is invisible? When 
you see how you feel. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 7 

What is the difference between truth and eggs? 
"Truth crushed to earth will rise again," but 
eggs won't. 

Which is the most profitable of all businesses? 
Shoemaking, for every pair is soled (sold) be- 
fore it is finished. 

What is the difference between a tunnel and a 
telephone? One is hollowed out, and the other 
is holloaed in. 

What is worse than " raining pitchforks? 1 ' 
Hailing omnibuses. 

When is Echo like a visiting acquaintance? 
When she returns your call. 

In what condition was the patriarch Job at 
the end of his life? Dead. 

When is a conundrum least like a young lady? 
When it's not at all a-miss. 

Why are authors who treat of physiognomy 
like soldiers? Because they write about face 
(right-about-face). 

Why are ripe potatoes in the ground like 
thieves? Because they ought to be taken up. 

Why is a lady who flirts with every man she 
meets with like a person whose skin cracks in 
cold weather? Because she is liable to have bad 
chaps on her hands. 

What is the key-note to good breeding? B(e) 
natural. 

When is a Blue-book not a blue book? When 
it's read (red). 

Why are ladies out shopping like birds that 
are long on the wing? Because it is a consider- 
able time before they settle on their purchase 
(perches). 

Why do lady travelers resemble elephants? 
Because they pack and unpack their trunks. 

How many feet has a horse? Six; (four) fore- 
feet in front and two behind. 






8 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why is a man who saves a ship's company 
from destruction like Richard of the Lion 
Heart? Because he is a crew's-aider (crusader). 

Why does a successful physician resemble 
Job? Because he is remarkable for patients 
(patience). 

Why is a merciless reviewer like a careless 
driver? Because he is given to running people 
down. 

Why is E the most unfortunate of letters? Be- 
cause it is never in Cash, always in Debt, and 
never out of Danger. 

When does the weather most resemble a 
bookseller? When it keeps stationary (station- 
ery). 

What is the difference between death and the 
funeral furnisher? One is an overtaker, the oth- 
er an undertaker. 

Why should a thirsty man always carry a 
watch? Because there's a spring inside of it. 

What sport do gossiping young ladies re- 
mind you of? Deer(s) talking. 

Sam, why am de hogs de most intelligen' folks 
in de world? Because dey nose (knows) ebery 
ting. 

When is it dangerous to enter a church? When 
there is a canon in the reading-desk or a great 
gun in the pulpit. 

Why are greenbacks more valuable than gold? 
Because when you put a greenback in your 
pocket you double it, and when you take it out 
you find it in-creases. 

How many young ladies will reach from New 
York to Trenton, it being fifty miles? Fifty, for 
a miss is as good as a mile. 

Why is a horse constantly ridden and never 
fed not likely to be starved? Because he has al- 
ways a bit in his mouth. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. ntf 

Which part of a book is most like a part of a 
fish? The fin-is. 

When may a cheese be said to resemble maj- 
esty? When it is high and mity (mighty). 

Which are the best kind of agricultural fairs? 
Farmers' daughters. 

Why are Dissenters like spiders? Because 
they are in sects (insects). 

Why is a rheumatic person like a glass win- 
dow? Because he is full of pains (panes). 

Why is a beautiful woman bathing like a val- 
uable submarine machine? Because she is a 
diving belle (bell). 

Why is a good anecdote like a public bell? 
Because it is often told (tolled). 

Why are the fixed stars like wicked old peo- 
ple? Because they scintillate (sin till late). 

Why is the profession of a dentist always pre- 
carious? Because he lives from hand to mouth. 

Why is your eye like a schoolmaster using 
corporeal punishment? Because it has a pupil 
under the lash. 

Why are all policemen well behaved and po- 
lite? Because they are civil officers. 

Why is the history of England like a wet sea- 
son? Because it is full of reigns (rains). 

Why is a fop like a haunch of venison? Be- 
cause he is a bit of a buck. 

Why is a cabman, whatever his rank, a very 
ambitious person? Because he is always look- 
ing for a hire (higher). 

Why can the world never come to an end? 
Because it is round. 

Why is a soldier who has had his limbs am- 
putated likely to be forgotten by his friends? 
Because they cannot re-member him. 

Why is the polka like Indian ale? Because 
there are so many hops in it. 



io RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why may a professor without students be 
said to be the most attentive of all teachers? 
Because he has only two pupils and they are 
always in his eye. 

Why are lawyers like scissors? Because they 
never cut each other, but only what is placed 
between them 

Why is an oyster the greatest anomaly in 
nature? Because it has a mouth without teeth, 
a beard without a chin, and leaves its bed to be 
tucked in. 

Why are fashionably attired ladies like good 
painters? Because they fill up the back ground 
so well. 

Why is a newspaper like an army? Because 
it has leaders, columns and reviews. 

Why is an honest baker like a vessel without 
ballast? Because being short of weight he 
gives a roll over. 

Why are tears like potatoes? Because they 
spring from the eyes. 

Why is this book like an evergreen? Because 
it is full of leaves. 

Why should travelers not be likely to starve 
in the desert? Because of the sand which is 
(sandwiches) there. 

Why are domestic squabbles like pots of pre- 
serves? Because they are family jars. 

Why is a locomotive like a handsome and 
fascinating lady? Because it scatters the sparks 
and transports the mails (males). 

Why is a man's mouth when very large like 
an annual lease? Because it extends from ear 
to ear (year to year). 

Why should blacksmiths be shunned as com- 
panions? Because they are much given to vice. 

Why were the cannon at Delhi like tailors ? 
Because they made breaches (breeches) 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. n 

Why is the redbreast the greatest thief among 
birds? Because it is always a-robin'. 

How can venison never be cheap? Because it 
is always deer (dear). 

Why is a man who has just carried his carpet- 
bag ashore from a steamboat like an owner of 
the soil? Because he is possessed of landed 
property. 

Why is a mushroom like a dandy? Because 
it is rapid in its growth, slim in its trunk, and 
thick in its head. 

Why is a commercial traveler like an ex- 
perienced workman? Because he is a journey- 
man. 

Why is i860 like 1862? Because the one is 
i860 and the other is 186(2) too. 

Why is a silk dress the most appropriate for 
walking in? Because it is not satin (sat-in). 

Why is the letter G like the sun? Because it 
is the center of light. 

When is a soldier not half a soldier? When 
he is in quarters. 

Why are ships frequently uncomfortable? 
Because they are often put about and some- 
times get into straits. 

Why is a tippler likely to maltreat his wife ? 
Because he is addicted to liquor (lick her). 

Why is a tailor like a street drain? Because 
he is a common sewer. 

Why is dancing like new milk? Because it 
strengthens the calves. 

Why is your nose in the middle of your face ? 
Because it is the scent-er (center). 

Why is a gypsy's tent like a beacon on the 
coast? Because it is a light-house. 

Why are Cashmere shawls like persons total- 
ly deaf ? Because you cannot make them here 
(hear). 






13 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why may carpenters reasonably believe there 
is no such thing as stone ? Because they never 
saw it. 

Why do the occupations of a tragedian, a 
washerwoman, a church officer and a cooper 
resemble each other? Because the first wrings 
hands, the second wrings clothes, the third 
rings bells, and the last rings barrels. 

When does a man contrive to move in a very 
small space? When he comes down stairs in 
his slippers. 
r\ Why are pretty girls' eyes like oatmeal cakes? 
J? Because they are apt to give the heart-burn. 

When is a wall like a fish ? When it is scaled. 

Why is chloroform like Mendelssohn or Ros- 
sini? Because it is one of the greatest com- 
posers of modern times. 

Why is a spendthrift's purse like a thunder- 
cloud? Because it is continually lightening 
(lightning). 

Why is a railway carriage like a rope-dancer? 
Because it goes on a line. 

Why is a periodical like the blood of a healthy 
man? Because very much depends upon its 
circulation. 

Why is the western window of Westminster 
Abbey like a gouty man? Because it has many 
panes (pains). 

Why is a benevolent man like a rogue? Be- 
cause he takes poor people in. 

When are flannel and mahogany like each 
other? When they are made into drawers. 

Why is a very young lady like a bill of ex- 
change? Because she should be settled when 
she comes to maturity. 

Why should the name of a bill-sticker and that 
of a gambler be synonymous? Because placards 
(play-cards) are what they delight in. 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 13 

Why is a man who keeps his eyes shut like an 
illiterate schoolmaster? Because he keeps his 
pupils in darkness. 

When is a book like a prisoner in the States 
of Barbary? When it is bound in Morocco. 

Why is a retired carpenter like a lecturer on 
natural philosophy? Because he is an ex-plainer. 

Why is a sailing ship like a ship propelled on 
the Archimedean principle? Because it is worked 
by its crew (its screw). 

Why is a locomotive like a tippling musician? 
Because it often wets its whistle and is always 
taking draughts. 

Why is a madman like two ordinary men? 
Because he is a man beside himself. 

Why is a handsome and fascinating lady likeS 
a slice of bread? Because she is often toasted. 

Why does a Quaker resemble a fresh and 
sprightly horse? Because he is full of nays 
(neighs). 

Why are men who lose by the failure of a bank 
like Macbeth? Because each has his bank-woe 
(Banquo). 

Why is a lamplighter like a cowardly senti- 
nel? Because he runs away from his post. 

How is it that sailors use the smallest beds? 
Because they go to sleep in their watches. 

Why is latitude like a clothes-line? Because 
it stretches from pole to pole. 

Why is a used-up horse like a bad play? Be- 
cause it can't run and won't draw. 

Why is a telescope like time? Because it 
brings things near. 

Why is a first floor like a falsehood? Because 
it is a story. 

Why is a baker a most improvident man ? Be- 
cause he is always selling what he kneads 
(needs) himself. 



14 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why is a tired man like a thief at large? Be- 
cause he needs a resting (arresting). 

Why is love like a candle? Because the long- 
er it burns the less it becomes. 

Why is a laundress like conscience? Because 
she brings so many things home to us. 

Why is a ship the politest thing in the world? 
Because she always advances with a bow. 

Why is it easy to break into an old man's 
house? Because his gait (gate) is broken and 
his locks are few. 

Why should the world become blind if de- 
prived of its philosophers? Because there 
would be no seers. 

Why is a harmonica like the Bank of New 
York? Because it issues notes. 

Why is a well-trained horse like a benevolent 
man? Because he stops at the sound of wo 
(woe). 

Why is a good sermon like a kiss? Because it 
only requires two heads and an application. 

Why is a hen walking like a base conspiracy? 
Because it is a foul (fowl) proceeding. 

Why is a miser like a man with a short mem- 
ory? Because he is always for getting (forget- 
ting.) 

When is an umbrella like suet? When it is 
dripping. 

Why is a fretful man like a hard-baked loaf? 
Because he is crusty. 

Why is Kossuth like an Irishman's quarrel? 
Because he is a patriot (Pat riot). 

Why is drunkenness like a ragged coat? Be- 
cause it is a bad habit. 

Why is Ireland like a sealed bottle of cham- 
pagne? Because there is a Cork in it. 

Why is a widower courting like a dilapidated 
house? Because he wants re-pairing. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 15 

Why is a pianist like the warder of a prison? 
Because he fingers the keys. 

Why can no man say his time is his own? Be- 
cause it is made up of hours (ours). 

Why is an uncut leg of bacon like Hamlet in 
his soliloquy? Because it is ham let alone (Ham- 
let alone). 

When two men exchange snuff-boxes, why is 
the transaction a profitable one? Because they 
are getting scent per scent (cent, per cent.). 

Why is a curtain lecture like darkness? Be- 
cause it lasts from night till morning. 

Why cannot dying wives make their wills as£~ 
well as dying husbands? Because the wivesO 
have their wills during their lives. 

Why may turnkeys be said to have extraor- 
dinary powers of digestion? Because they bolt 
doors. 

Why should a teetotaler refrain from marry- 
ing? Because though he has a wife he must not 
support her (sup porter). 

Why is a waiter like a race-horse? Because 
he runs for the plate. 

Why is kissing the wrong lady like an old- 
fashioned gun? Because it is a blunder-buss. 

Why is good gas like a true lover? Because it 
burns with a pure flame. 

Why is a very plain common-place female a 
wonderful woman? Because she is an extra- 
ordinary one. 

Why is a sword that is too brittle like an ill- 
natured and passionate man? Because it is snap- 
pish and ill-tempered. 

Why is an Irish row like railway traveling? 
Because it is a very common kind of low com- 
motion (locomotion). 

Why are ladies like churches? Because there 
is no living without them. 









16 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why are steamboat explosions like short-hand 
writers leaving the House of Representatives? 
Because they go off with reports. 

Why is the profession of a lawyer not only 
legal, but religious? Because it involves a 
knowledge of law, and a love of the profits 
(prophets). 

Why ought a superstitious person to be neces- 
sarily temperate? Because he is afraid of 
spirits. 

Why is Troy weight like an unconscientious 
person? Because it has no scruples. 

How is a successful gambler always an agree- 
able fellow? Because he has such winning 
ways. 

Why was the capture of Mexico like ttfte novel 
of Ivanhoe? Because it was Scott's best work. 

Why does a donkey prefer thistles to corn? 
Because he is an ass. 

Why are your teeth like verbs? Because they 
are regular, irregular, and defective. 

Why are a certain member's speeches in the 
Times like a brick wall? Because nobody can 
get through them. 

Why is a theological student like a merchant? 
Because he studies the prophets (profits). 

Why is grass like a mouse? Because the cat- 
tle (cat'll) eat it. 

Why is the wick of a candle like Athens? Be- 
cause it is in the midst of grease (Greece). 

What parts of speech are shopkeepers most 
anxious to sell? Articles. 

What would make you think that reptiles in- 
crease very rapidly? Because there are so many 
adders among them. 

Why is a row between Orangemen and Rib- 
bonmen like a saddle? Because there is a stir- 
up (stirrup) on both sides. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 17 

When is a husband justified in calling his 
wife "honey?" When she is be(e)loved. 

Why is a beggar like a barrister? Because he 
pleads. 

Why is a prosy story teller like the Hoosac 
Tunnel? Because he is a great bore. 

When you put on your slipper why do you 
always make a mistake? Because you put your 
foot in it. 

Why are ladies so fond of officers? Because 
every lady likes a good offer, sir (officer). 

When is the music at a party most like a 
ship in distress? When it sets the pumps a- 
going. 

Why is your first-born child like a legal deed? 
Becaue it is all-engrossing. 

Why are the stars like wild young men ? Be- 
cause they continue out late at night. 

Why are the ears like regimental bands? Be- 
cause they have drums in them. 

Why is a hackney coachman like a conscien- 
tious man ? Because he has an inward check 
on his outward action. 

When may a chair be said to dislike you? 
When it can't bear you. 

Why is love at first sight like a seal? Because 
it makes an impression. 

Why is a locomotive engine like a quack doc- 
tor? Because they are both given to puffing. 

Why is the moon like an African slave? Be- 
cause both have dark bodies. 

Why is the electric telegraph like a prosy 
storyteller? Because it gives long wire-drawn 
communications. 

Why are ripe potatoes in the ground like 
thieves? Because they ought to be taken up. 

Why is Liverpool like benevolence? Because 
it is founded on Mersey (mercy). 






i8 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why is a person undergoing the water-cure 
like a ship in a storm? Because he is under wet 
sheets. 

Why should you suppose the elephant in a 
menagerie always has some luggage? Because 
he carries his trunk with him. 

Why should we not blame the cabmen for 
cheating us? Because we call them to take us 
in. 

Why is a fashionable young lady like a ship 
tacking? Because she is under stays. 

Why is a good schoolmaster like a good 
clock? Because he warns before he strikes, and 
never strikes oftener than is requisite. 

What islands ought to be good singers? The 
Canaries. 

Ulf ladies were cast adrift on the sea, where 
hould they steer to? The Isle of Man. 

To what part of the world should our hun- 
gry population emigrate? To the Sandwich 
Islands. 

What two towns in France will describe the 
language of a parent who refuses to give his 
daughter in marriage ? Ushant, Havre (you 
shan't have her). 

What two letters and a figure will spell " atone 
for "? X, P, 8 (expiate). 

If the letter D were never used, why would it 
be like a dead man? Because it would be D 
ceased (deceased). 

Which are the four most corpulent letters in 
the alphabet? O, B, C, T (obesity). 

Why is the letter B in jubilee like a secret 
known only to us two? Because it is between 
U (you) and I. 

Why are the letters B and D like England and 
Ireland? Because there is a C (sea) between 
them. 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 19 

When is a letter-carrier like the first sound of 
A? When he is going a-long. 

Why is the letter I in Cicero like Arabia? Be- 
cause it is between two C's (seas). 

On which day of the week should you begin 
to cook the alphabet? On Friday (fried A). 

If a little girl is enjoying herself and doing no 
harm, what letter in the alphabet would you 
name? Letter B (let her be). 

Why is the I in wit like dinnertime? Because 
it comes before T (tea). 

Why is a poet like a pullet? Because he chants 
his lays. 

Why is blind man's buff like sympathy? Be- 
cause it is a fellow feeling for a fellow-creature. 

Why are stokers well versed in the laws of 
punctuation? Because they never put coal on 
(colon) when they should make a full stop. 

Why ought the stars to be the best astrono- 
mers? Because they have studded (studied) the 
heavens since the creation of the world. 

Why is the grass on which animals feed older 
than yourself? Because it is pasturage (past 
your age). 

Why are ladies' dresses about the waist like a 
general meeting? Because there is a gathering 
there, and sometimes a good deal of bustle. 

Why is a cabbage run to seed like a lover? 
Because it has lost its heart. 

Why is a melancholy young lady the pleasant- 
est of all companions? Because she is always 
a-musing. 

Why is a circulating library like a lime-kiln? 
Because it lets out volumes. 

Why is a bird caged like a hardened sailor? 
Because he doesn't care for the cat. 

Why is a toothless man like a cutler without 
assistants? Because he has got no grinders. 



20 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS, 

How are young ladies generally bad gram- 
marians? Because few of them are able to de- 
cline matrimony. 

Why should a bird with a wing, and another 
without a wing always disagree? Because there 
is a difference of a pinion (opinion) between 
them. 

Why is a tooth extracted like a fact forgot- 
ten? Because it is out of the head. 

Why may an omnibus be considered secure 
from lightning? Because it has a conductor. 

Why is a pig in a parlor like a house on fire? 
Because the sooner it is put out the better. 

Why is a star like the smallest coin in circu- 
lation? Because it is a farthing (farthing.) 

Why are bankrupts more to be pited than 
idiots? Because bankrupts are broken, while 
idiots are only cracked. 

Why do you suppose a glass-biower can make 
the letter E gallop? Because he makes a de- 
canter (D canter). 

Why is a necklace like a speech on the deck 
of a vessel? Because it is a decoration (deck 
oration). 

Why are the bars of a convent like a black- 
smith's apron? Because they keep off the 
sparks. 

If a tough beefsteak could speak, what En- 
glish poet would he name? Chaucer (chaw, sir). 

Why is it dangerous to take a walk in the 
woods in spring? Because then the trees are 
shooting. 

Why is a grave-digger like an oarsman? Be- 
cause he handles sculls. 

Why is the tongue of scandal like a bad mir- 
ror? Because it casts bad reflections. 

Why should a gouty man make his will? To 
have his leg at ease (legatees). 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 21 

Why is a man on horseback like difficulties 
overcome? Because he is sir-mounted (sur- 
mounted. 

Why is a dog biting his tail like a good econ- 
omist? Because he makes both ends meet. 

Why are gymnastics like the tide at low water? 
Because they develop the muscles (mussels). 

Why are plain-spoken people like a knife that 
won't cut? Because they are blunt. 

My daughter Annie used to be dull when she 
was a maid; why is she lively since her marriage? 
Because she is Annie mated (animated). 

Why is Westminster Abbey like a fender? Be- 
cause it contains the ashes of the great (grate). 

Why is a man who does not bet as bad as one 
that does? Because he is no better? 

Why was Don Quixote like a policeman? Be- 
cause he went on knight (night) duty. 

Why is our very good friend like a great 
.drunkard? Because he is always ready to make 
a sacrifice to back us (Bacchus). 

Why is a galvanic battery like a revolting 
crime? Because it is a shocking thing. 

Why are the labors of a translator likely to 
excite disgust? Because they produce a version 
(aversion). 

Why is steam power in a locomotive like the 
goods lading a ship? Because it makes the car 
go (cargo). 

Why does a spoon reclining in a cup of tea re- 
semble a handsome young lady? Because it is 
in tea resting (interesting). 

Why was Grimaldi like a glass of good bran- 
dy and water? Because he was a tumbler of 
first-rate spirit. 

Why is a man in jail and wishing to be out 
like a leaky boat? Because he requires bailing 
out. 



22 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why is a box without matches superior to any 
other box? Because it is matchless. 

Why was Phidias the celebrated sculptor 
laughed at by the Greeks? Because they said 
he cut a pretty figure. + 

Why are hothouse plants like drunkards? Be- 
cause they have so many glasses over and 
above. 

Why are females indispensable in mining? Be- 
cause there must be a chamber made (maid) at 
the end of each gallery. 

Why am I the most peculiar person in the 
company? Because I am the querist (queerest). 

Why should you expect a banished criminal 
to be a very happy man? Because he is trans- 
ported. 

Why is a blundering writer like an arbiter in 
a dispute? Because he writes (rights) wrong. 

When is a pugilist like an animal with four 
hands? When he doubles his fists. 

When is a sailor not a sailor? When he is a- 
board. 

Why is hot bread like a caterpillar? Because 
it is the grub that makes the butterfly. 

Why is your nose like the v in civility? Be- 
cause it is between two i's (eyes). 

Why are lawyers like sawyers? Because 
whichever way the wind blows, down comes the 
dust. 

If a pair of spectacles could speak, what an- 
cient historian would they name? Eusebius 
(you see by us). 

Why is a very angry man like the clock at 
fifty-nine minutes past twelve? Because he is 
just ready to strike one. 

Why is a dressmaker like one who resides in 
the suburbs of a city? Because she lives on the 
skirts of the town. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 13 

Why does a porpoise weigh less than any other 
fish? Because it has no scales. 

Why are there three objections to taking a 
glass of brandy? Because there are three scru- 
ples to a dram. 

Why is a shoemaker like a true lover? Because 
he is faithful to the last. 

Why should a deed not be dated in a glen? 
Because it would be in valley dated (invali- 
dated). 

Why is the art of gallantry like violin play- 
ing? Because it depends principally on the 
beauing (bowing). 

Why is a secret like silence? Because you 
cannot talk about it and keep it. 

Why should you imagine the visitors at a 
fancy ball were bound on a submarine trip? 
Because they wear divers costumes. 

Why is a cricket on the hearth like an 
American soldier in battle? Because he often 
advances under a brisk fire. 

Why is Ash Wednesday like the banquet in 
Macbeth? Because it is a moveable feast. 

Why is the most discontented man, after all, 
the most easily contented? Because nothing 
satisfies him. 

Why is a kiss like the world? Because it is 
made of nothing, and yet it is something. 

Why is a fly one of the tallest of insects? Be- 
cause he stands six feet without shoes or stock- 
ings. 

Why is an orchestra of violins like an over- 
polite man? Because it is full of bows and 
scrapes. 

Why are conundrums like monkeys? Because 
the are far-fetched and troublesome. 

Why is the bee-hive like a spectator? Because 
it is a bee-holder (beholder). 



24 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why is an over-polite Frenchman like a tree? 
Because he is made up of a series of bows 
(boughs). 

Why is a person in bed like a book unbound? 
Because he is in sheets. 

When does a vessel become an equestrian? 
When it rides at anchor. 

Why should a stuttering man be discredited? 
Because he is always breaking his word. 

Why are cowardly soldiers like butter? Be- 
cause, when exposed to fire, they run. 

Why is a hare, run to death, a very bold ani- 
mal? Because it always dies game. 

How is bread the first necessary of life? Be- 
cause it is always kneaded (needed). 

Why should a strict Sabbatarian dislike a 
rough sea on Sunday? Because it makes Sab- 
bath-breakers. 

Why is a sharp-nosed woman like the great 
wall of China? Because, if crossed, you are 
likely to find a Tartar. 

Why was Pharaoh's daughter like a broker ? 
Because she got a little prophet (profit) from 
the rushes on the banks. 

Why are forms like chairs and ceremonies 
like carpets? Because you sit upon the one and 
stand upon the other. 

When is frost like poetry? When it is rhime 
(rhyme) on the hedges. 

Why is a lady with stays very tight like a 
good housewife? Because she keeps her waist 
(waste) in small compass. 

Why is a man digging a canoe like a boy 
whipped for making a noise? Because he hol- 
lows. 

Why is a man that fails in kissing a lady like 
a shipwrecked fisherman? Because he has lost 
his smack. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS, 25 

Why is a thought like a great sea? Because 
it is a notion (an ocean). 

When are soldiers stronger than elephants? 
When they carry a fortress. 

Why has a clock a bashful appearance? Be- 
cause it always keeps its hands before its face. 

Why is a man attempting to kiss an Irish girl 
like a traveler ascending Mount Vesuvius? Be- 
cause he is trying to get at the mouth of the 
crayther (crater). 

Why is an adjective like a drunken man? Be- 
cause it can't stand alone. 

Why is wine spoiled by being converted into 
negus? Because you make a mull of it. 

Why is the word lilies like a man's face? Be- 
cause it has two i's (eyes). 

If the alphabet were invited out, at what time 
would the last six letters go? After tea (T). 

What word is that which contains all the vow- 
els, and in their proper order? Facetiously. 

What is that from which, when the whole is 
taken, some will remain? The word wholesome. 

What kind of portrait can you spell with three 
letters? Effigy (F, E, G). 

What word of ten letters can be spelled with 
five? Expediency (X, P, D, N, C). 

Did you ever see the elegy on a turkey? Yes, 
I have seen the L, E, G. 

What two letters denote extreme cold? I, C 



(icy). 
Wh 



r hat three letters will give the name of a 
famous Roman General? C, P, O (Scipio). 

What three letters denote strength and activ- 
ity? N, R, G (energy). 

What two letters do children like the best? C 
and Y (candy). 

What two letters of the alphabet are supposed 
to have eyes? A and B, because A B see (C) D. 



26 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

The figures representing my age are what you 
should always endeavor to do; what is my age? 
Forty (XL., Excel). 

Why is a vocalist singing incorrectly like a 
forger of bad paper? Because he is uttering 
false notes. 

Why is an iron steam-vessel like the loss of a 
fortune? Because it is a hard ship (hardship). 

Why are sluggard's beds too short for them? 
Because they are too long in them. 

Why is a carpenter less agreeable-looking 
than his wife? Because he is a deal planer 
(plainer). 

Why is a greedy boy like a grub-worm? Be- 
cause he makes the butter-fly (butterfly). 

Why are jokes like nuts? Because the drier 
they are, the better they crack. 

Why is your night-cap when on your head 
like a giblet pie? Because it contains a goose's 
head. 

What beau is least liked by young ladies at a 
pic-nic? A rain-bow (beau). 

Why are two laughing girls like the wings of 
a chicken? Because they have a merry-thought 
between them. 

When are a very short and a very tall judge 
both the same height? When they are judges of 
assize (a size). 

Why is a thoughtful man like a mirror? Be- 
cause he reflects. 

Why is a young lady like an arrow? Because 
she cannot be got off without a beau (bow). 

Why is a lady in error like another on her 
marriage-day? Because she is mistaken (miss 
taken). 

Why is an author the most peculiar of ani- 
mals? Because his tale (tail) comes put of his 
head. 



"\ 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 37 

When is a young man in love like his father? 
When he is a sigher (sire). 

Why is a pig with a twisted tail like the ghost 
in Hamlet? Because it can a tail (tale) unfold. 

Why are photographers the most uncivil of 
all trades-people? Because, when we make ap- 
plication for a copy of our portrait, they always 
reply with a negative. 

When is an innkeeper like a multitude of peo- 
ple? Because he is a host himself. 

Why is a plowed field like feathered game? 
Because it is part ridges. 

Why are birds very much depressed early in 
a summer's morning? Because their little bills 
are all over due. 

Why is a dog's tail like an old man? Because 
it is in firm (infirm). 

What is worse than raining cats and dogs? 
Hailing omnibuses. 

How does a goose resemble a cow's tail? Both 
grow down. 

If all the women went to China where would 
all the men go? To Pekin (peek in). 

Who killed the greatest number of chickens? 
Hamlet's uncle " did murder most foul. ' 

What newspapers does a gentleman desire 
when he kisses a lady? No Observers^ no Specta- 
tors and as many Times as he pleases. 

Why is a falling star like a fog? One is 
missed from heaven, and the other is mist from 
earth. 

What piece of carpentery becomes a gem as 
soon as finished? A-gate. 

Why is a cautious, prudent man like a pin? 
Because his head prevents him from going too 
far. 

Where is happiness always to be found? In 
the dictionary. 



28 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 



Why are dancers like mushrooms? Because 
they spring up at night. 

Why is a man who has nothing to boast of 
but his ancestors, like a potato? The best thing 4 
belonging to him is under ground. 

Why is a hat like a king? It has a crown. 

What burns to keep a secret? Sealing-wax. 

Why is a prisoner on trial like a criminal 
hanging? He is in a state of suspense. 

Which is the most hearty gentleman? Sir- 
loin. 

Which is the most positive gentleman? Cer- 
tain. 

Which is the most suspicious gentleman? 
Sur-mise. 

Which is the most cowardly gentleman? Sur- 
render. 

Why does a young man injure his stature by 
encouraging the growth of his beard? Because 
he will begin to grow down. 

Why is opening a letter like a very novel way 
of getting into a room? It is breaking through 
the ceiling (sealing). 

Why is a newly born baby like a gale of 
wind? Because it begins with a squall. 

If you pull a dog's tail, why is that like your 
tea-caddy? Because your teasing it (your tea is 
in it). 

Why is a naughty boy like a postage stamp? 
Because both need licking to make them stick to 
their letters. 

What is it from which if you take all its letters 
it remains the same? A postman. 

For what was Eve made? Adam's express 
company. 

What is the most unequal contest mentioned 
in the Bible? When a little mustard seed sprang 
up and waxed a great tree. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 29 

When did Ruth treat Boaz badly? When she 
pulled his ears and trod on his corn. 

What chin is never shaved? Ur-chin. 

When does love become a pitched battle? 
When it comes to an engagement. 

Why are washerwomen unreasonable? Be- 
cause they expect to have soft water when it 
rains hard. 

Why is a hen supposed to be immortal? Be- 
cause her sun (son) never sets. 

When is a candle like a tombstone? When it 
is put up for a late husband. 

Why is a young lady who has just left board- 
ing school like a building committee? Because 
she is ready to receive proposals. 

Why is a sermon like a kiss? Because it needs 
two heads and an application. 

What wind do we naturally look for after 
Lent? An Easter-ly one. 

Why is a pretty girl like a hinge? Because 
she is something to a door (adore). 

How many peas (P's) in a pint? One. 

Why is a dog's tail a great novelty? Because 
you never saw it before. 

Who are the most wicked people in the world, 
and why? Pen makers. Because they make 
people steel pens and tell them they do write 
(right). 

Why should potatoes grow better than other 
vegetables? Because they have eyes to see what 
they are doing. 

Why is coal the most contradictory article 
known in the market? Because when purchased 
it goes to the cellar (seller) instead of the 
buyer. 

Why is a woman living up two pairs of stairs 
like a goddess? Because she is a second Flora 
(floorer). 






30 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

When does a man eat the most indigestible 
supper? When he bolt's the street door before 
going to bed. 

When are potatoes like gate-posts? When 
they are put into the ground to prop-a-gate. 

Why do men about to fight a duel generally 
choose a field for the place of action? For the 
purpose of allowing the ball to graze. 

What animal has the most brains? The hog, 
because he has a hog's head full of them. 

Why don't horses wear hats? Because it would 
give them a hos-tile appearance. 

What is the worth of a letter which contains 
ten jokes? A ten-pun' note. 

When is the best time fer sowing tares? When 
you go around and collect your rents. 

When would a bed make the best hunting 
ground? When it is made anew for rest (a new 
forest). 

Why are the poker, tongs and shovel like titles 
of nobility? They belong to the grate (great). 

When is a lady's neck not a neck? When it's 
a little bare (bear). 

When is a baby not a baby? When it's a little 
cross. 

What is it that must stand before it can sit? 
A member of Congress. 

Why is a child with a bad cold like a snow- 
storm? Because it blows, it snows (nose). 

Why is an old oak tree like a tight shoe? Be- 
cause it produces a corn. 

A duck before two ducks, a duck behind two 
ducks, and a duck between two ducks ; how 
many ducks were there in all? Three. 

What strange metamorphose do people un- 
dertake every night? They turn into bed. 

When is an author like a ghost? When he 
appears in sheets. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. $1 

Why should you never abuse a briefless law- 
yer? Because it is decidedly wrong to abuse a 
man without a cause. 

Why should pirates be thrown into the sea 
unceremoniously? Because they are sea 
worthy. 

Why may stone cutters reasonably believe 
there is no such thing as granite? They never 
saw it. 

Why are the girls of America conducive to 
specie payments? Because they are the circu- 
lating medium ; their drafts on our hearts are 
honored at sight, and are sure to introduce 
small change among the masses. 

When is an artist like a cook? When he is 
drawing a little duck. 

When is coffee like the soil ? When it is 
ground. 

Why are good resolutions like fainting ladies? 
They should be carried out. 

Why is a tradesman who keeps enlarging his 
stock like a reptile? He is an adder. 

When is a penniless state of things the cause 
of joy in a poor man's family? When bread is 
a penny-less per loaf. 

Why is a careless boy like a bottle of quack 
medicine? When taken he should be well 
shaken. 

Why is a bad piano-player like a bustling 
housekeeper? She rattles the keys. 

Why is the letter K like flour. You cannot 
make cake without it. 

What shows that a clock is bashful? It al- 
ways holds its hands before its face. 

Where are balls and routs supplied gratis? 
On the field of battle. 

What tree bears the most fruit to market? The 
axle tree. 



32 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS, 

When is a child a perfect blessing? When it 
is a well-spring of pleasure. 

What sort of a rib is most valuable? A spare- 
rib. 

What is the greatest blessing heaven can send? 
A good wife. 

Name a bank that there is no discount on? 
A bank of earth. 

What debt should we be ever ready to pay? 
To give the devil his due. 

What is Neptune's coat-of-arms? The crest of 
a wave. 

Tell me what is a Western settler? The con- 
tents of a six-shooter. 

When is fishing discouraging? When you 
fish all day and get nothing but mosquito bites. 

Why should you never put your watch under 
your pillow? Because you should never sleep 
on your watch. 

What parties are young ladies always partial 
to? Wedding parties 

What is the difference between agent dancing 
with a miss and one losing his photograph in a 
railway car? One faces his miss and the other 
misses his face. 

Why should a doctor have his office near a 
burial-ground? As a matter of convenience to 
his patients. 

Why is a mad bull an animal of a convivial 
disposition? Because he offers a horn to every 
one he meets. 

If a Colt's pistol has six barrels, how many 
barrels ought a horse pistol to have. 

Why is a hotel ghost like a policeman? Be- 
cause it is an inn-spectre. 

When can a man have something and nothing 
in his pocket at the same time? When there is 
a hole in it 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 33 

>w do you arrive at the height of a church- 
steeple on a hot day? Per-spire. 

Why is a beard like common sense? Because 
no women possess it. 

What is that which gives a cold, cures a cold, 
and pays the doctor's bill? A draught (draft). 

Why is a drunken man like a windmill? His 
head turns round. 

What is higher and handsomer when the head 
is off? A pillow. 

Why is a lawyer like a sawyer? Whichever 
way he goes down must come the dust. 

What is that which can be found where it is 
not? Fault. 

What is the difference between stabbing a 
man, and killing a hog? One is assaulting with 
intent to kill, and the other is killing with in- 
tent to salt. 

What word is that to which, if you add a syl- 
lable, it will make it shorter? Short. 

What is that which every one thinks of in 
telling a conundrum, and everyone thinks of in 
hearing it? The answer. 

Why is Ireland like to grow rich? It's capital 
is always Dublin (doubling). 

Why is it easy to break into an old man's 
house? His gait is broken and his locks are few. 

Why do the rich only eat venison? Because 
it is dear (deer). 

When does a black and tan dog change color? 
When it turns to bay. 

If I were in the sun and you were out of it, 
what would the sun become? Sin. 

What man must have his glass before he can 
do a day's work? A glazier. 

Whose best works are most trampled upon? 
-A shoemaker's; because good shoes last longer 
than bad ones. 






34 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

What kind of a ship has two mates and no 
captain? Courtship. 

When is a pie like a poet? When it is Brown- 
ing. 

What is the most unfortunate vegetable they 
could have on board a ship? A leek. 

What can pass before the sun without making 
a shadow? The wind. 

What tradesman most resembles an iron dog? 
A tinker (tin-cur). 

Why is a woman deformed when she is mend- 
ing her stockings? Because her hands are where 
her feet should be. 

A man gave a cattle-farm to his two sons? 
Why is that farm like the focus of a lens? The 
sun's rays meet there (the sons raise meat 
there). 

Why is a guide-book like a pair of handcuffs? 
Because it is made for tourists (two wrists). 

Why is a snow-storm the best of jokes? You 
can always see the drift of it. 

If the good all die early, why are the bad like 
the pupil of the eye? Because they die late (di- 
late). 

Why is a peacock like the figure nine? Be- 
cause it is nothing without its tail. 

Why is a king like a cloud? Because both rain 
(reign). 

Why is death like a tin pan tied to a dog's 
tail? Because it is bound to occur (a cur). 

Why is love like a potato? Because it shoots 
from the eyes, it grows in the dark, and it di- 
minishes by paring. 

Why is the memory of Washington like fine 
old French brandy? Because it is very dear to 
the American people. 

Why is a buckwheat cake like a caterpillar? 
Because it's the grub that makes the butter-fly. 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 55 

Why is William Penn, the Quaker, like a co- 
dicil? Because he is appended (a-pen-dead). 

Why was the first day of Adam's life like a 
summer day in Spitzbergen? Because there was 
no eve to it. 

Why are corsets like opposition omnibuses? 
Because they reduce the fair (fare). 

What things increase the more you contract 
them? Debts. 

Why is an angry boy like a clock at"*fifty-nine 
minutes past twelve? He is ready to strike one. 

When is a man over head and ears in debt? 
When he has not paid for his wig. 

Where did George Washington go when he 
went out of his forty-ninth year? Into his 
fiftieth. 

Why is the letter P like uncle's fat wife going 
up a hill? It makes ant pant (aunt). 

What is the difference between photography 
and the whooping cough? One makes fac- 
similies, and the other sick families. 

Why is a man in pecuniary difficulties like an 
ostrich in wet weather? Because he cannot get 
the dust to cover his bill. 

If you stumble over your new mat in the 
passage, what science are you shown to have 
neglected? Pneumatics. 

When is a man truly in advance of his age? 
When he is knocked into the middle of next 
week. 

From whence proceeds the eloquence of an 
American lawyer? From his mouth. 

In what does a tailor resemble a woodcock? 
In the length of his bill. 

Why are clergymen like cobblers? They seek 
the good of souls (soles). 

Why is death like the letter E? It is the end 
of life. 



36 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Which letter of the alphabet is most useful 
to a deaf woman? The letter a, for it makes 
her, hear. 

Which is the oldest piece of furniture in the 
world? The multiplication table. 

Why did Adam bite the apple which Eve gave 
him? Because he had no knife. 

Why is a proud and vain young lady like a 
drunkard? Because neither of them are satis- 
fied with a moderate use of the glass. 

What is that when you add something to it, 
• it will become smaller ; but if you add nothing, 
it will become larger? A hole in a stocking. 

Why are the human race like auctioneer's 
goods? Because they are always going, going, 
gone. 

What is the easiest and best way to expand 
the chest? By having a good heart in it. 

Why should you be careful how you enter- 
tain friendship? Because it has a cold shoulder. 

Why would a practical joker make a success- 
ful auctioneer? Because of his success in sell- 
ing his friends. 

When is a man out of date? When he's a 
weak (week) back. 

Why does a lady's home-dress outlast all 
others? Because she never wears it out. 

Why ought poultry-keeping to be a most 
profitable business? Because for every grain 
you give a fowl it gives a peck. 

Why is a lady's foot like a locomotive? Be- 
cause it moves in advance of a train. 

What is that which increases the effect by re- 
ducing the cause? A pair of snuffers. 

Why is a stupid man like a man with one leg? 
Because his understanding is imperfect. 

Why are a man and woman joined in wedlock 
like a well-known fruit? They are a pair (pear). 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 37 

Why is the Queen of England like a certain 
useful article in the counting-house or school- 
room? She is a ruler. 

Whose profession is at once the hardest and 
the easiest? The musician's, because he works 
when he plays, and plays when he works. 

Why is a pauper in the work-house like a very 
rich man? He is in-dependent. 

Why is a person scolding like a garden fence? 
He's a railing. 

Why is a coward like a leaky barrel? They 
both run. 

Can a leopard change his spots? Yes; when 
he is tired of one spot he can go to another. 

Why is a winner of a race like the letter A? 
He is decidedly first. 

When you listen to a drum, why are you like 
a just judge? You hear both sides. 

At what time of life may a man properly be 
called a vegetable? When he is aged, because 
long experience makes him sage. 

Why is the letter A like the meridian? Be- 
cause it is in the middle of day. 

Why is Mr. Timothy More, since he lost his 
hair, like an American city? Because he is bald 
Tim More (Baltimore). 

Why is an orderly schoolmaster like the letter 
C? Because he makes lasses into classes. 

Why are sheep the most unfortunate of ani- 
mals, and at the same time the most wicked? 
Because they spend all their youth upon the 
turf; they gambol when they are young; the 
best of them are black legs, and they are invari- 
ably fleeced before they die. 

What fruit is like an old monkey? Grapes 
(gray apes). 

What is the worst fare a man can live on? 
War- fare. 



38 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

What is the difference between the surface of 
a lake and a leaden image of the devil? One is 
a dead level and the other is a lead devil. 

What is the first money transaction men- 
tioned in the Bible? When Moses drew a 
check on the Red Sea and the sons of Israel 
passed it. 

When do two and two make more than four? 
When they make twenty-two. 

Why is a loaf which has fallen overboard like 
a lobster? It is bred (bread) in the sea. 

Why is marriage a symbol of strength? 
" Union is Strength." 

What is the greatest stand ever made for 
civilization? Inkstand. 

Why is a telephone like a musical director? 
It beats time. 

Why is love like a duck's foot? It is often 
hidden in the breast. 

Why is a policeman like a mill-horse? He 
goes his rounds. 

Why is a Turk like a shell-fishmonger? He is 
a Mussulman (mussel-man). 

Why is a widow like a gardener? She tries to 
get rid of her weeds. 

Why is a plum-pudding like the ocean? It 
contains many currants? 

Why is a neglected damsel like a fire which 
has gone out? She has not a spark left. 

Why are crows the wisest of birds? They 
never complain without a cause (caws).. 

Why is the foundation of a leg of mutton 
like a great general? It is the bony-part (Bona- 
parte). 

When you look at a miser's dinner why are 
you nearly blind? You can only see a little bit. 

When is a thief like his counsel? When he is 
brought up to the bar. 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 39 

Why is a riddle which is very clearly dis- 
covered, like a letter written by a child to its 
mother? It is too apparent (to a parent). 

What is the best name for a wood-chopper? 
Hugh. 

When is a Scotchman like a donkey? When 
he strolls along his banks and braes. 

How do we know that fishes sometimes go 
crazy? Because we sometimes find them in 
Seine (insane). 

What evidence have we that Rome was built 
in a night? Because we are told that " Rome 
was not built in a day." 

What is the best way to make early peas come 
up? Turn the hens into the garden. 

Why is the human life the riddle of all rid- 
dles? Because we must all give it up. 

Where lies the path of duty? Through the 
custom-house. 

What is the cord in which you cannot tie a 
knot? A cord of wood. 

Why was St. Paul like a horse? Because he 
was fond of Timothy. 

When is a man greatly tickled but never 
laughs? When a fly lights upon his nose. 

What is the royal road to marriage? Going 
to court. 

Why do railway men always speak of a loco- 
motive as " she ?" Because it suggests tender 
thoughts and draws men after it. 

Why is conscience like an omnibus strap? It 
is the inward check to the outward man. 

When is a gambler like a sportsman? When 
he makes the game his own. 

Why is a spendthrift's purse like a thunder- 
cloud? Because it is continually lightning. 

What is it that God never sees, a king seldom, 
and we every day? A superior. 



40 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

When is a pretty girl like a ship? When she 
is attached to a buoy (boy). 

How do we know that time is money? Be- 
cause we find it easy to spend in good company. 

What letter is that which is always repeated 
in America? A. 

Why is a man sitting quietly by himself like 
money which is borrowed? He is alone (a 
loan). 

Why are noisy people at a public meeting 
like sputtering candles? They only cease to be 
nuisances when they are put out. 

Why is a reporter like a forger? He makes 
notes. 

Why is a man who is approaching a lamp 
like a person about to get off a horse? He is 
going to a light (alight). 

Why is a man without whiskers impudent? 
He is bare faced. 

Why is an honest man like old honey? He is 
candid (candied). 

Why is a person with asthma like a money- 
chest? He is a cougher (coffer). 

What heathen deity would a boxer name 
when asking another to second him? Bacchus 
(Back us). 

What general causes most distress,, is most 
prevalent, and spreads most dismay? General 
Want. 

When is a widow like a half-ruinous house? 
When she wants to be re-paired. 

Why are blind persons most compassionate? 
They feel for others. 

Why have domestic fowls no future state of 
existence? They have their next world {necks 
twirled) in this. 

What chasm is that that often separates 
friends? Sarcasm. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 41 

How do bees dispose of their honey? They 
cell (sell) it, of course. 

Which travels faster, heat or cold? Heat. 
Because one can catch cold. 

When may one's teeth usurp the functions of 
one's tongue? When they are chattering. 

What is a green-grocer that we read about? 
One who trusts. 

Why have you no cause to fear the arrows of 
resentment from an old man? Because he never 
had a beau. 

When is the heart like a watchman? When 
it confines itself to its regular beat. 

At what season did Eve eat the apple? Early 
in the fall. 

Of all the Percy family, who is the noblest? 
Percy-vere (persevere). And the most cruel? 
Percy-cute (persecute). 

What is the difference between a carriage 
and wheel a carriage horse? One goes best 
when it is tired and the other when it is not. 

Why do so many young ladies tell such con- 
founded fibs? Because they send word to the 
front door, " engaged," though they never had 
an offer in their life. 

Smith, why do you always eat your sister's 
share of the cake and pie? My mother taught 
me always to take her part. 

Why should a baker be considered a poor 
man? He is always kneading (needing) bread. 

Why are sheep in a fold like a letter? They 
are penned. 

What is the best line to lead a woman with? 
Mascu-line. 

Which is the most favorite word with all? The 
last one. 

What is the most engaging work of art? A 
fashionable young lady. 






42 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why is rheumatism like a great eater? It at- 
tacks the joints. 

Which is the most noticeable pair of tights? 
Two drunkards. 

Why is a lover like a knocker? He is bound 
to adore (a door). 

What is the most ocular instrument of pun- 
ishment? Eye-lashes. 

Why is a horse constantly ridden, but seldom 
fed, not like to be in want of food? Because he 
has always a bit in his mouth. 

Which are the most vain (vein) people? 
Miners. 

Why does a coat get larger when taken out of 
a trunk? When taken out you find it in- 
creases. 

What is the difference between a butcher and 
a flirt? The former kills to dress, the latter 
dresses to kill. 

In what place did the cock crow when all the 
world could hear him? Noah's Ark. 

Why is S like a smart repartee? Because it 
begins and ends in sauciness. 

What roof never keeps out the wet? The roof 
of the mouth. 

Why ought one to distrust the opinion of any 
person who does not use cheap perfumes? Be- 
cause he is wanting in common scents (common 
sense). 

What is good diet for a wise man? Sage. 

Why is the average sermon like asparagus? 
Because the end is the best part. 

Why is the man who wears spectacles greatly 
to be pitied? Because he can't real-eyes (realize) 
anything. 

Why is an author's tale like a Chinaman's pig- 
tail? Because they both come right out of the 
head. 









RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 43 

Smith, can you inform me how to make ice- 
cream? Bake it in cold-ovens, to be sure. 

When does a woman's tongue go quickest? 
When it's on a railroad. 

When is a dog like a wandering minstrel? 
When he is a rover. 

Why are cooks of more advantage than edi- 
tors? Because they can make better puffs. 

Why is whispering a breach of good man- 
ners? Because it is not aloud (allowed). 

What port is sought by every living creature? 
Sup-port. 

What cardinal virtue does water represent 
when frozen? Just-ice. 

Why are the Germans like quinine and gen- 
tian? They are two-tonics (Teutonics). 

Why is the Prince of Wales, musing on his 
mother's government, like a rainbow? It is the 
son's (sun's) reflection on a quiet reign (rain). 

If a man saw his shrewish wife in a lock-up 
what letter should he name? Letter B (let her 
be). 

How many fathers has a man? Nine ; his 
father, his father-in-law, his godfather, two 
grandfathers, and his fore (four) fathers. 

Why should buying trowsers on credit be 
considered a dishonorable transaction? They 
are breeches (breaches) of trust. 

Why is a man who beats his wife like a 
thorough-bred horse? He is a perfect brute. 

When does a farmer act with great rudeness 
toward his c*brn? When he pulls its ears. 

Why is a butcher's cart like his top-boots? 
He carries his calves there. 

When is a gun like a dismissed servant? 
When it is discharged and goes off. 

What word may be pronounced quicker by 
adding a syllable to it? Quick-(er). 



44 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS, 

What is both food for the body and food for 
the mind? Bacon (Bacon the philosopher). 

What is the difference between a farmer and 
a bottle of whisky? One husbands the corn 
and the other corns the husband. 

When are ladies in winter like old kettles? 
When they are much furred. 

Why are seeds which are sown like gate- 
posts? Because they are planted in the earth in 
order to prop-a-gate. 

If a tree were to break a window what might 
the window say? Tremendous (Tree-mend-us). 

Why is using tobacco like a ragged riding- 
dress? It is a bad habit. 

Wn*y is a looking-glass unlike a giddy girl? 
The one reflects without speaking, the other 
speaks without reflecting. . 

What is that which is lengthened by being 
cut at both ends? A ditch. 

Why is the letter S like dinner? It comes be- 
fore T (tea). 

Why is a woman, churning, like a caterpillar? 
She makes the butter fly. 

What instrument of war does an angry lover 
resemble? A cross-bow. 

When are culprits like old books? When they 
are bound over. 

What is the difference between one who walks 
and one who looks up-stairs? One steps up 
stairs and the other stares up steps. 

Why is the letter D like a squealing baby? 
Because it makes ma mad. 

Why is the letter Y like a young spendthrift? 
Because it makes pa pay. 

When may a ship at sea be said not to be on 
water? When she is on fire. 

What was the first bet ever made? The al- 
phabet. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 45 

When is a brick a tile? When it is a projec- 
tile. ^ 

What writer would have been the best angler? / 
.Hooker. / 

Why are all men hypocrites? Because they 
are always seen in sheep's clothing. 

When may a knife in your hand be considered 
under your foot? When it is ground. 

Why does the world improve yearly? Be- 
cause every year it turns over many new leaves. 

Why should we be very particular with the 
front of our house? Because every man is 
judged by his gait (gate). 

Why are the Digger Indians never known to 
smile? Because they are grave diggers. 

Why is it folly to converse with a fish? Be- 
cause you never succeed in drawing it out. 

When does a woman invariably tell the truth? V 
When she is talking of her own age. 

Why are fools the worst of all thieves? They 
rob us of time and temper. 

Why is a halfpenny like an Alderney cow? It 
has a head, and a tail, and two sides. 

What great Scotchman would you name if a 
footman knocked at the door? John Knox. 

Why is a row like railway traveling? Because 
it is low commotion (locomotion). 

Why is the letter D like a sailor? It follows 
the C (sea). 

Why is an amiable and charming girl like one 
letter in deep thought; like another on its way 
toward you; another bearing a torch; and an- 
other singing psalms? She is A-musing, B-com- 
ing, D-lighting, N-chanting. 

What are the best trees to protect us from the 
cold? Firs (furs). 

What proves sailors to be very careless? They 
are in a " mess " every day at sea. 



4 6 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 



What is that which occurs once in a minute, 
twice in a moment, and not once in a thousand 
years? The letter M. 

What sort of snuff is that which the more 
you take of it the fuller the box will be? Candle- 
snuff. 

What most effectually checks a fast man? A 
bridle (bridal). 

When you put on your slipper, why do you 
always make a mistake? Because you put your 
foot in it. 

What fraction is always desirable to have pre- 
dominant? Satis-faction. 

When is a family worth ten pence? When it 
has a Frank (franc) it it. 

Why is the letter F like death? Because it 
make all, fall. 

Why are words like cannon? Because they 
are the flying artillery of thought. 

When has a man a right to do as he pleases? 
When he pleases to do right. 

Can you tell me what there is not in nature? 
Dumb belles? 

Why are two lovers like the two halves of a 
divided bank note? Because, however widely 
separated, they always correspond with each 
other. 

Why do rich men sing well? Because they 
hold their notes. 

Why is a pig's tail like a carving-knife? Be- 
cause it is flourished over a ham. 

When is neuralgia in the face like the ancient 
money-changers? When it is seated in the tem- 
ple. 

What is that which makes pretty women and 
plain women look equally well? The dark. 

Why do hens always lay in the day-time? Be- 
cause they are roosters at night. 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 47 

To what port is a man bound on the day of 
his wedding? To Havre (have her). 

What two letters of the alphabet describe a 
faded loafer? C D. 

Why is a man who marries twice like the cap- 
tain of a ship? He has a second mate. 

Why is a sword like the moon? Because it is 
the glory of the k-night. 

Where do we read of the first use of currency? 
When the dove brought the green back into the 
ark. 

What king first made beef-tea? Henry the 
Eighth, when he dissolved the Papal Bull. 

Why is a watch-dog larger at night that in the 
morning? Because he is let out at night and 
taken in in the morning. 

Why do we look over a stone wall? Because 
we cannot look through it. 

Why does a puss purr? For an obvious purr- 
puss. 

Why is the Prince of Wales like a cloudy day? 
He is likely to reign. 

Why is sympathy like blindman's buff? Be- 
cause it is feeling for our fellow-creatures. 

Why are the tallest people the laziest? They 
are always longer in bed than others. 

What is the count on which you always lose? 
Discount. 

Why is Asia like a market in Christmas week? 
There is always a Turkey in it. 

What is the most suitable dower for a widow? 
Wi-dower. 

What bar is that which often opens, but never 
shuts? Crow-bar. 

On what grounds may confectioners be called 
mercenary lovers? They sell their kisses. 

Why is the world like a piano? It is fuH of 
flats and sharps. 



48 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Why is an error like a young lady accepting 
a ring? It is a mis-take. 

What part of a lady's attire most resembles a 
solitary person? Her-mitts. 

Why are pancakes like umbrellas? They are 
rarely seen after lent. 

When are true words sweet words? When they 
are candid (candied). 

When is a clock on the stairs dangerous? 
When it runs down and strikes one. 

Why is a blacksmith the most likely person in 
trade to be corrupted? He is surrounded by 
vices. 

Why is a blacksmith the most dissatisfied of 
all mechanics? He is continually on the strike 
for wages. 

When is a chair like a lady's dress? When it 
is sat-in. 

Why do so many people in China travel on 
foot? Because there is but one Cochin China 
(coach in China). 

Why do women love to exercise control? Be- 
cause they are not satisfied unless they have 
husbands to order. 

When do broken bones begin to make them- 
selves useful? When they begin to knit. 

What is maid (made) of money? A young 
heiress. 

How would you get a duck for dinner? Jump 
into the river. 

Why are all men burglars? Because, if a 
woman had as many locks upon her heart as she 
has upon her head, the cunning rogues would 
find their way into it. 

Why does woman require no eulogy? Because 
she speaks for herself. 

What did Adam and Eve live on? On terra 
firma. 



. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 49 

Why are fascinating girls like clouds? Be- 
cause they reign (rain) upon earth. 

What river in Bavaria answers, "Who is there?" 
Isar (I, sir). 

Why are all the hand-organs classic? Be- 
cause they are the production of the handle 
(Handel). 

What is the proper diet for a dancer? A few 
capers. 

Why should the male sex avoid the letter A? 
Because it makes men mean? 

Why is the letter M like a man who feeds on 
fish? Because it makes meals of eels. 

Why is a fish-monger never generous? His 
business makes him selfish (sell fish). 

When may a man be said to be literally im- 
mersed in business? When he is giving a swim- 
ming lesson. 

What money brings the most substantial in- 
terest? Matri-mony. 

Why is a horse the most miserable of animals? 
His thoughts are always on the rack. 

Why is it almost certain that Shakespeare was 
a money-broker? Because no other man has 
furnished so many stock quotations. 

How does a sailor know there is a man in the 
moon? He has been to sea (see). 

What relation is the door-mat to the scraper? 
A step-father (farther). 

How should love come to the door? With a 
ring but not with a rap (wrap). 

When is a horse like a school-boy? When he 
knows his (s)table. 

Why is Samuel Smith like an underdone cake? 
He is not Brown. 

When are dressmakers and house agents in 
the same business? When they gather the 
rents. 



A 



50 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Who is the burglar's best friend? His faith- 
ful jimmy. 

Why is a dull and plausible man like an un- 
rifled gun? He is a smooth bore. 

Why is the root of the tongue like a detected 
rogue? It is down in the mouth. 

Why are young ladies' affections always 
doubted? Because they are mis-givings. 

When does a duel come to an issue suddenly? 

r hen it takes two seconds to arrange it. 

What Chinese city is like a man looking 
through a key-hole? Pekin. 

When were walking-sticks first invented? 
When Eve presented Adam with a little Cain 
(cane). 

What chief virtue does frozen water repre- 
sent? Just-ice. 

When is the worst weather for rats and mice? 
When it rains cats and dogs.- 

Which is the ugliest hood ever worn? False- 
hood. 

Why do birds in their little nests agree? Be- 
cause they would fall out if they did not. 

When the president pardons a convict, what 
grammatical rule does he illustrate? He puts a 
period to a sentence. 

How may a dead tyrant violate truth? By 
lying in state. 

Which is at once the warmest and the coldest 
of garments? A bare (bear) skin coat. 

Why is steam like the president on a journey? 
Because it is a moving power. 

How does the most punctual payer incur debt? 
By sleeping on "tick." 

Why is a specimen of hand-writing like a dead 
pig? It is done with the pen. 

What belongs to yourself, yet is used by every- 
body more than yourself? Your name. 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 51 



ENIGMAS 



An enigma is a dark saying, in which some 
known thing is concealed under obscure lan- 
guage; an obscure question; a riddle; a ques- 
tion, saying, or painting containing a hidden 
meaning which is proposed to be guessed, 

My first is a common New York cry, 

My next an insect; now try 

To guess my whole; a clew I'll give, though 

slight, 
It oft emits my first, a glorious sight. 

(Fire-fly.) 
We are twin brothers, and in vain, 
We never meet but to complain. 

(Murmur.) 
My first implies to be able, 
My second is a Christian name which may be 

read both ways, 
My whole is North America. 

(Canada.) 
My first may be seen, and my second be heard; 
My whole is the name of a sweet singing-bird. 

(Skylark.) 
By me men often upward go, 
Behead — a reptile it will show. 

(Ladder — adder.) 
My first in every store is seen, 
My next affords us light; 
My total you will see, I ween, 
When you've bade friends good-night. 

(Counter-pane.) 



32 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

A word of four letters I pray you to take; 

If that word you follow, 'twill sure make you 

ache; 
Just alter that word, and squeeze out one letter; 
Then follow that word, and 'twill soon make 
you better. 

(Fast—Feast.) 
My first sounds much like something true, 

My second sounds much like a lie; 
But what is spoken like my whole, 
Let no one venture to deny. 

(Truly.) 
To a word of consent add one half of a fright; 
Next subjoin what you never behold in the 

night; 
These rightly connected, you'll quickly obtain 
What millions have seen, but will ne'er see 
again. 

(Yesterday.) 
My first is to hard-working horses oft spoken; 
My second, of sudden surprise is a token; 
My third is a place we shall do well to shun; 
My fourth is a river, which in Scotland doth run; 
My half is an order to quit, you will find; 
My whole is an idol set up by mankind. . 

(Gold.) 
In every hedge my second is, 

As well as every tree; 
And when poor school-boys act amiss, 

It often is their fee. 
My first, likewise, is always wicked, 

Yet ne'er committed sin; .^ 

My totaLfor my first is fitted, 
Composed of brass or tin. 

(Candle-stick.) 
If you a musical instrument behead, 
A sweeter-toned one will remain behind. 

(Flute.) 



My first is a part of the day, 

My second at feasts overflows; 
In the cottage my whole is oft seen, 
To measure old Time as he goes. 

(Hour-glass.) 
A shining wit pronounced of late 
That every acting magistrate 
Is water, in a freezing state. 

(Just-ice.) 
In spring, I am gay in my attire. 
In summer I wear more clothing than in spring 
In winter, I am naked. 

(A tree.) 
A word of three syllables, seek till you find, 
That has in it the twenty-six letters combined. 

(Alphabet.) 
We are little airy creatures, 
All of different voice and natures; 
One of us in glass is set, 
One of us you'll find in jet; 
The other you may see in tin, 
And the fourth a box within; 
If the fifth you should pursue, 
It can never fly from you. 

(The vowels.) 
A riddle, a riddle as I suppose, 
A hundred eyes and never a nose. 

(A Coal Sifter.) 
I am found in a jail, I belong to a fire, 
I am seen in a gutter abounding in mire, 
Put my last letter third, and it will be found, 
I belong to a king without changing my sound. 

(Grate, Great.) 
What is that which is too much for one, 
enough for two, but nothing at all for three? 

(A Secret.) 
It hangs and it bears, but it never blossoms. 
(A Chimney Crane.) 






54 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Over the water, and under the water, and not 
touch the water. 

(A Woman crossing a bridge with a pail of 

water on her head.) 
I went into the woods and got it; I sat down 
to look for it; and the more I looked for it the 
less I liked it; and not being able to find it, 
came away with it. 

(A Thorn in the Foot.) 
I'm longer and longer the lower I fall, 
And when I am highest I'm shortest of all. 

(A Plummet.) 
What is that which you have, and everybody 
else has at the same time? 

(A Name.) 
What is that which goes up the hill, and down 
the hill, and spite of all yet standeth still? 

(The Road.) 
What is that which never asks a question yet 
requires many answers? 

(A Door Knocker.) 
He that in music takes delight, 
And he that sleeps secure at night, 
And he who sails too near the land, 
And he that's caught by law's strong hand, 
He who his time in tavern spends, 
And he that courts of law attends— 
Are all acquainted well with me: 
My name you surely now must see. 

(A Bar.) 
I never was but always am to be; 
None ever saw me, you may never see; 
And yet I am the confidence of all 
Who live and breathe on this terrestial ball. 

(To-morrow.) 
Round the house, and round the house, and 
makes but one track. 

(A Wheel-barrow.) 



RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 55 

I'm slain to save me — with much care and pain, 
Scattered, dispersed, and gathered up again, 
Withered, tho' young — most sweet, tho' unper- 

fumed, 
And carefully laid up to be consumed. 

(Hay.) 
I tremble with each breath of air, 
And yet can heaviest burdens bear; 
Tis known that I destroyed the world, 
And all things in confusion hurled; 
And yet I do preserve all in it 
Through each revolving hour and minute. 

(Water.) 
I'm rough, I'm smooth, I'm wet, I'm dry, 
My station low, my title high, 
My king, my lawful master is, 
I'm used by all though only his. 

(The Highway.) 
I've seen you where you never were, 

And where you never will be, 
And yet within that very place, 
You shall be seen by me. 

(In the Mirror.) 
What is that which a gentleman has not, and 
never can have, but may give it to a lady? 

(A Husband.) 
What is that which lives in winter, and dies 
in summer, and always grows with its roots up- 
ward? 

(An Icicle.) 
Brown I am and much admired, 
Many horses have I tired, 
Tire a horse and worry a man, 
Tell me this riddle if you can? 

(A Saddle.) 
What word is there of five letters that, by 
taking away two, leaves one? 

(Stone.) 






56 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS, 



CHARADES. 



A charade is a kind of enigma, the solution of 
which is a word of two or more syllables each 
of which is separately significant either in sound 
or spelling, and the meaning of which, as well 
as that of the whole word, is intended to be dis- 
covered from description or representation. 
When dramatic representation is used to indi- 
cate the meaning of the syllables and the whole 
word it is called an acting charade. 

My first is on or under a table, my second is 
a kind of grain, my third is what all men de- 
sire, my whole is one of the united states. 

(Mat-ri-mony.) 
My first descends, my second you often as- 
cend, and my whole is the name of a place. 

(Rain-hill.) 
In hope of my first, being caught by my sec- 
ond, I sat down by the side of the brook; butlo 
and behold! as I looked quickly down, my first 
had gone off with my whole. 

(Fish-hook.) 
My first is what you're doing now, 

My second is procured from stone; 
Before my whole you often stand, 
But mostly when you are alone. 

(Looking-glass.) 
Without my first my second never could have 
existed and my whole is as old as creation. 

(Sun-day.) 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 57 

My first is a noisome insect, my next a fero- 
cious animal, my whole is used to frighten chil- 
dren and fools. 

(Bug-Bear.) 
My first brings joy to all around, my second 

may bring sorrow, 
My whole but once a year is found and may be 
yours to-morrow. 

(Birth-day.) 
My first is a useful animal, my second is a 
root, and my whole is a root. 

(Horse-radish.) 
Oft times you'll find, laid up in store, 

Within my first my second. 
In tales of love and deeds of war, 
Quite fair my whole is reckoned. 

(Strata-gem.) 
My first is a noble animal, my second is lord 
of creation, my third a vessel, my whole is an 
art. 

(Horse-man-ship.) 
My first is on the reindeer's head, 

My second is a measure, 
My total is a favorite dance, 

That's always seen with pleasure. 

(Horn-pipe.) 
My first denotes equality, my second, inferi- 
ority, and my whole, superiority. 

(Match-less.) 
My first is nimble, my second innumerable, 
and my whole dangerous. 

(Quick-sand.) 
My first is formal, my second is a flower, my 
whole is a flower, 

(Prim-rose.) 
My first is a color, my second is a workman, 
my whole is a workman. 

(Black-smith.) 



5« RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

My first dreads my second, for my second de- 
stroys my first, while many take a strange de- 
light in my whole. 

(Fox-chase.) 
My first is a human being, my second is to 
walk, my whole is an Indian fruit. 

(Man-go.) 
My first is to spoil, my second is a vowel, my 
third is a precious metal, my whole is a flower. 

(Mar-i-gold.) 
I made up my mind to second my first, 
And my whole from the dealer received; 
But I found that my second 
Was too long for my first, 

And returned my whole to the maker deceived. 

(Picture-frame.) 
My first is the product of my second, and my 
whole is pleasant to romp in. 

(Hay-field.) 
In winter's time my first is seen, 
When the weather is very cold; 
And is formed into my second 
By children young and old. 
And if my whole you wish to find, 
My first and second must be combined; 
And then by looking you will see, 
A winter favorite in me. 

(Snow-ball.) 
Take half of what is needful for the dead, 
What helps physicians to their daily bread; 
Join these together bright and clear, 
And drink for breakfast without fear. 

(Cof-fee. 
My first is a weapon used in war, my second 
lives in the sea, my whole is a species of fish 
found in warm climates. 

(Sword-fish.) 






RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 



59 



MATHEMATICAL PUZZLES. 



An old man married a young woman; their 
united ages amounted to one hundred. The 
man's age, multiplied by four and divided by 
nine, gives the woman's age. What were their 
respective ages? 

(The man's age was 69 years and 12 weeks. 
The woman's, 30 years and 40 weeks.) 

At a time when eggs were scarce, an old 
woman who possessed some good hens, wishing 
to oblige her friends, sent her daughter with a 
basket of eggs to three of them; at the first 
house, which was the squire's, she left half the 
number of eggs she had, and half a one over; at 
the second she left half of what remained and 
half an egg over; and at the third she again left 
half of the remainder, and half a one over; she 
carried home one egg in her basket, not having 
broken any. How many had she when she 
started? 

(Fifteen eggs.) 

Two drovers, A and B, meeting on the road, 
began discoursing about the number of sheep 
they each had. Says B to A, " Pray give me one 
of your sheep and I will have as many as you." 
" Nay," replied A, " but give me one of your 
sheep and I will have as many again as you." 
How many did each have? 

(A had seven, and B had five sheep.) 



60 RIDDLES AND THEIR ANSWERS. 

Find a number such that when 12 is added to 
its double, the result will be 28? 

(Eight.) 

A is three times as old as B, and 19 years hence 
he will be twice as old as B. What is the age 
of each? 

(A is 57 years old, and B is 19 years old.) 

There was a well 30 feet deep and a frog at 
the bottom jumped up 3 feet every day and fell 
back 2 feet every night, how long did it take 
him to jump out? 

(Twenty-eight days.) 






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